


- coffee coping. -

by deadcircuts



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Slow Burn, slow burn saihara shuichi/amami rantaro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-04 20:56:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21203975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadcircuts/pseuds/deadcircuts
Summary: amasai coffee shop au because I couldn't stop thinkin abt barista amamiedit 28/07/20 - trying to think about if I'd still like to continue this or not





	1. - prolouge. -

**Author's Note:**

> hi this is my first serious work on this account be nice and feedback is very sexy and appreciated

The shittiest school year of Shuichi Saihara's life was his final year - his third year. Kaito Momota, a friend since his first year of middle school, had decided that walking home after school on their first day was the best time to tell Shuichi. The conversation went something along the lines of:  
“Hey, Shuichi, sidekick buckaroo, I gotta tell you something,” Kaito started off, with that particular tone that implied that he meant to come off as more serious. Shuichi only replied with a glance over, letting out a gentle hum. They made eye contact, before Kaito continued. “College classes, I was lucky to score a few this year…” He said somewhat proudly. “But because of the workload I have going on I won’t be able to hang out as often…”

Shuichi nodded, congratulating him. It was important for aspiring astronauts to have a head start since they needed to know so much before a certain age. However, the smaller male made the mistake of being hopeful about spending time with his friend. 

As the school year went on, Kaito seemed more occupied. He got a job. He got a girlfriend, Harukawa Maki, who Shuichi didn’t have a particular opinion on. Along with Kaito gaining so many more responsibilities, the distance between them grew. What used to be nights staying up watching space movies turned into Shuichi curled up in a ball, entering into a panic attack or depressive episode. What used to be fun trips - or more precisely, Kaito dragging Shuichi - to places ended up being replaced with Harukawa. 

It hurt. It hurt losing his only friend. He knew - or wanted to believe - Kaito had taken up too many responsibilities. Momota wouldn’t leave him out, right? 

By the end of the school year, Kaito did have another talk with him. It started off with disgustingly fake and awkward small talk, as distant friends do, until the space boy spat it out. 

“I’m moving to Florida later this month,” Kaito had stated boldly. Shuichi’s eyes widened, before he continued. “Um… Maki Roll isn’t able to come with me… Sorry for not talking to you as much,” the boy admitted, looking down. 

Shuichi nodded it off. His suspicions were right. Besides, Kaito would’ve had to move to Florida in the end, right? “It’s fine,” Shuichi replied. No, it wasn’t fine. He felt like he was suffocating. Didn’t Kaito promise to stay a year at college with Shuichi? His thoughts began to go out of control, “oh god, why do I feel light headed? Why is my heart pounding? Oh fuc-” Saihara’s train of thought was cut off by a bone crushing hug from Momota. 

That summer was arguably the most painful. Shuichi’s uncle had to remind him to take his anti this, anti that, to eat, and that if he didn’t listen he’d be thrown back into therapy. 

Oh yes, when the guardian figure in his life didn’t like what Shuichi did he was just thrown to another adult! When his parents realized they didn’t give birth to the next Usian Bolt or Brad Pitt, they dumped him across an ocean! But oh no, his parents loved him too much to keep the failure of a child out of their lives. His vacations were spent with them. 

Sitting in the guest room that used to be his in the bustling city of Los Angeles, staring at the city skyline at night. The thought of that room made him sick to the stomach. It was best described as a padded room, everything had been painted over with an almost sickly white with pristine crisp sheets to match. 

Shuichi remembered the last days in the damned city. He was in sixth grade, and displayed no interest in anything his parents would’ve liked. The boy only did what he was told to avoid arguments and punishments. Shuichi often referred to it as the basic way of living. His classmates boggled their eyes at him as the teacher threw him a farewell party. That party was mainly full of him being used as some form of translating. 

God, he was happy he had an extremely low chance of seeing those kids ever again.

Relating back to the subject of Kaito Momota, the two had met in the first year of middle school. Kaito introduced himself in somewhat poor English, before Shuichi corrected him. It was that moment where Kaito insisted on forming an unbreakable bond with the new kid. 

Now, Shuichi sat alone gazing out of the car window, gnawing on his already raw bottom lip. He was going to college, today was move in day. His uncle quietly drove while some talk show buzzed on the car radio. The boy felt numb, he was dissociating. Shuichi mentally noted it. He decided he’d look into what he’d been prescribed lately and tell his doctor. After all, he’d been prescribed stronger doses of his medication. 


	2. - chapter one. -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shuichi settles in, before going to get breakfast.

Shuichi had been one of the first freshmen to move in. Which means, the process went fairly quickly and his roommate had not been met yet. 

Long bony fingers worked with a mix of anxiety and fatigue as Shuichi unpacked. He worked quickly, making his bed before hanging up all his clothes. By the time he had thought to check the time, it was late. Too late to go out to eat, not that he was hungry anyways. His bony frame fell back onto the mattress. 

He stared at the ceiling, and for a moment, nostalgia hit him. He remembered being sleepless on one of his exiled vacations an ocean away, texting Kaito how he hated it. Their text conversation was quickly transformed into a verbal one through video chat. 

It was fun talking to Kaito, barely speaking above a whisper and occasionally showing Kaito the view of the skyline. He could still hear his giggling, before saying “It’s like electric stars, y’know? Since light pollution blocks out all the natural ones?” 

Shuichi glanced his eyes to the window. The campus appeared to be like something out of Silent Hill, a movie Kaito quite literally pissed himself watching, with lights shedding the glow upon the sidewalks. It was dead. No other dorms had their lights on.   
The boy picked himself up, his body felt heavy from what he recognized as depression, before turning off his light, pulling his blinds down, and slowly changing his clothes. He quietly pulled his pajamas on, a shitty excuse for an ancient MCR tee and ragged sweatpants, before crawling back on to his bed. 

What kind of roommate would he be forced to respect for this school year? Of course, the ideal was somebody like him, minus the absolute shitstorm of mental health problems. Basically, an introvert who kept to themselves. Shuichi couldn’t help but slightly grin. Yeah, an introverted roommate sounded splendid. Maybe they could exchange books and hangout at the library, discussing what should’ve happened in this series or why this book sucked major ass. 

His train of thought was cut off suddenly. He needed to take his meds before he got too lethargic. The boy did the deed quickly, using the last of his water he bought at a gas station with his uncle as a source of liquid. Shuichi felt more comfortable. Placebo phase had taken place, something he taught himself to make him relax. Act like he wasn’t planning to take his own life or to cry himself to sleep, then actually sleep. 

Shuichi stared at the ceiling one more time, remembering the lack of ‘electric stars’ on campus. He imagined if Kaito was his roommate, pointing out constellations from their beds like they did during every sleepover. The thought of the Ursa’s in the sky lulled him to sleep. 

The boy woke up at around six. As if ingrained into his system, he checked the time, before calculating the amount of sleep he got. Four hours. Hey, it's better than nothing! He dragged himself out of bed, the feeling of being numb hitting him. Fucking medication, the boy thought to himself, grabbing his toothpaste and toothbrush, before beginning his morning. Brush teeth, return to dorm room, grab shower essentials, shower, and return.

It seemed easy, but entering a dissociative state in the shower added some struggle to the routine. Shuichi didn’t return back to the real world until he heard the door open and close, and a fellow peer occupied one of the shower stalls. He quickly finished showering, dressed, and scurried back to his dorm. 

Today, he decided it would be best to get out. Shuichi didn’t want to know what he’d do in his room, and going into a depressive episode wasn’t how he wanted his first day living alone to go. He grabbed some headphones and some other essentials before wandering around campus. Some song in English softly played as he began to walk. Not many students littered the campus, it was early in the morning. Those who seemed to be out were doing some morning jogs, clearly athletic. Shuichi made a mental note to avoid them.

It was at this time that the boy realized he hadn’t eaten since yesterday’s breakfast. He didn’t necessarily get hungry, Shuichi had been used to eating when his uncle had prepared something. A truly, bad habit. He remembered the doctors saying he needed to gain weight so he’d be able to handle the medication. Maybe that’s why he struggled so much, the fucking fact he could barely feed himself and how he was a few pounds underweight skewed how the medication worked in his body. That’s science, right? 

He relaxed on a bench, checking his phone for nearby places to eat. Maybe, if he had something light, he’d stop zoning out so fucking much. The only place open at such an early hour was a cafe on campus, opening at seven and closing at eleven. High reviews, praising the food and coffee. Yeah, Shuichi would probably drag himself there on a daily basis. 

The cafe, when he arrived, was calm. Only one person had already been inside, a girl with blue hair who seemed to be busy playing a game on her laptop as she munched on a bagel with possibly room temperature tea. When he looked ahead, two baristas were chuckling to each other. The perks of having a morning shift, Shuichi assumed. He pulled out his ear buds, before beginning to mentally prepare himself to recite his order. Black coffee, one sugar, black coffee, don’t stutter, one sugar.

He approached the register, feeling the medication do its thing. It was at this moment he easily assumed why this cafe had been so highly rated - or at least one of the reasons why. The barista who dared to take his order had stunning green eyes, with green hair to match. His eyes twinkled, a soft grin on his lips as he asked for Shuichi’s order in a friendly tone. Shuichi glanced at his name tag, before answering. “Rant- I mean, just a black coffee with a sugar please,” He said, holding back a scream of FUUUUCK!

Oh god, he couldn’t return here, Shuichi thought, almost shoving the money into his hands. The barista, Rantaro, apparently paid no attention. The boy attempted to calm himself down. He probably experienced way worse, especially looking like that. Rantaro certainly wasn’t attractive- no shit! Not like that! His face had reddened to the point to where said Rantaro was staring at him. Oh fuck. Was he talking aloud? Shuichi usually didn’t say his thoughts a-

“Sir, you okay?” Rantaro said, a clear expression of worry on his face. Oh no, now Shuichi had distracted him from his job because of his-

He nodded. “I’m fine, thank you for asking,” he said. Rantaro nodded in return, resuming his drink. Due to ordering such a simple beverage, it was created quickly. Shuichi’s cheeks flared up lightly as he grabbed (snatched) the coffee from him, before taking a seat near the window. 

It was at this point where the boy had truly begun to mentally lose it. He forgot to order food. He was so busy making googoo eyes at the barista, accidentally thinking he was attractive, before almost fainting right on the spot. 

Despite the utter clown Shuichi had created himself to be, the coffee was far better than the shitty cheap coffee his uncle purchased. It was smooth and bitter, and he drank it to the last drop. He stared at the empty cup, before thinking, hey, this could be a questionably healthy coping mechanism!


	3. - chapter three. -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shuichi meets his roommate and instantly regrets everything in his life that led up to meeting him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this isn't a saiouma fanfic i promise i swear on my sims expansion pack collection one of my friends suggested to add in some angst or something

The walk back from the cafe left Shuichi feeling regretful. He should’ve spent longer enjoying that coffee, should’ve ordered a large, and should’ve studied the early morning grind. He wondered how much this would change once classes actually began. 

His thoughts began to wander as he explored the campus on his way back. He tried to play it off as him being curious, but deep down he knew he was terrified of meeting his roommate. The worst that could happen with his roommate is if he was too nosy, too clingy, and worst of all, an extrovert. Kaito has been the only extrovert he approved of, but besides him? Yeah, Shuichi would rather wedge a pencil into his eye socket than even think about small talk, which was the equivalent to rug burn.

Shuichi returned to his dorm, and with relief noticed the still empty bed on the left side of the room. His back relaxed as he decided to make his bed, before taking a seat. He almost habitually pulled out his phone from his back pocket, checking for any new notifications. A frown graced upon his face as he realized Kaito had said nothing. His instinct was to believe Kaito was busy again, he’s still probably settling in. Nevertheless, Shuichi still felt bothered by the fact. The only messages he had gotten were from his parents and his uncle about how happy they were that he was in college. 

He replied to his uncle, deciding to ghost his parents. The pro about living by himself is that he had an excuse for everything - this time around his uncle couldn’t prove that Shuichi was lying. If the boy had to admit truthfully, he despised lying. Just a diversion from getting to the truth. 

However, this opinion changed when it came to his parents. He felt a rush of adrenaline when he lied to them. Shuichi wasn’t sure what fueled this rush. It could be the almost 5,500 miles between them, the feeling of getting revenge, or just breaking his own morals. 

His thought process was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, successfully startling him and making him let out the oh so iconic ‘uuweh’ sound effect. The boy’s cheeks turned a light pink as his - most likely - new roommate stepped through the door. 

The first adjectives he could pinpoint on the stranger was that he was short, and very poorly dressed. The stranger wore a multi neon colored windbreaker, paired with a pair of patched jeans with some neon red Converse to match. Shuichi mentally compared the outfit to the 80s. 

“Hey, you’re my roommate?” The stranger started off.

“I suppose so, unless you picked the lock”  
The stranger grinned playfully, “Bingo!” he exclaimed.

Shuichi realized at this precise moment his roommate was the human equivalent to a gremlin. He remained quiet, unsure of what to say. The thump of the checkered bag the other smaller boy had been holding lightly echoed in the room.

“Names Kokichi Ouma. Better remember it, you might have to pretend I’m doing non illicit activities,” he smiled, taking a step forward and holding out a hand to Shuichi.   
Shuichi stared at his hand. He kept his baby hands comments to himself as he took it. His absolute Florida Man of a roommate however, had pulled the boy up. Or at least, tried to. Kokichi only stumbled on to the taller boy’s body. He had clearly underestimated his weight. 

Shuichi’s face burned a bright red. Oh, abso-fucking-loutley great! His roommate was a lying extrovert dressed perfectly for a gay bar! He gritted his teeth as the smaller boy resettled himself on top of his body.

Kokichi, which already had an iconic shit-eating grin plastered on his face, had become almost too awfully prepared for what he had to say. Shuichi, however, could’ve sworn he had the faintest blush dusting his cheeks.

“Aw why’re you blushing? Are you a bottom? Already captivated by his charm?” He cooed, only deepening Shuichi’s blush.

The taller boy retaliated by lightly pushing Kokichi off of his name, only huffing out an awkward “names Shuichi,” before quickly hiding his face in his hands. Fuck, he needed his hat desperately. He felt Kokichi shift his weight on the bed, and soon realized the other had gotten off the bed.

Gradually, his face calmed down as he removed his hands and stared at the floor. He shot a quick glance at his roommate, who had turned his attention to unpacking his shit. Shuichi decided not to question what had happened, before he grabbed a random book he had brought along, before picking up where he left off, and getting lost in the world. 

His reading was interrupted several hours later, by Kokichi himself. The boy had sat on the edge of Shuichi’s bed, flinging himself backwards before letting out a complaint on how tired and hungry he felt. Shuichi nearly shat himself. He spent that long reading? After fixing his position to sit upright and placing his book on his nightstand, he looked at Kokichi.

He frowned, clearly annoyed by the interruption.“If you’re so hungry go get food.”   
Purple eyes flickered towards golden, and a soft whine escaped his mouth. “I’m just a little baby, Shumai!” Kokichi sat up, making some sort of puppy dog eyed look at the former. “Besides, you need to eat too!”

A sigh escaped his lightly chapped lips. He was right. Shuichi stood up, mumbling a “let’s go then,” as he pulled his shoes on. 


End file.
